8 Washington casinos will stay open, preserving 850 jobs, Maverick Gaming owner says

About 850 casino workers across Washington are expected to keep their jobs as Maverick Gaming owner Eric Persson moves to buy back eight casinos identified in closure notices.

Persson told KIRO Newsradio the casinos will remain open during the ownership transition. He expects the purchase to close in about three weeks and said workers will be rehired by the new company.

“From a customer standpoint, you know nothing changes,” Persson said. “The building never closes.”

The affected casinos are Great American Casino in Everett, Chip’s Casino, Macau Casino and Palace Casino in Lakewood, All Star Casino in Silverdale, Casino Caribbean in Yakima, Crazy Moose Casino in Pasco, and Coyote Bobs Casino in Kennewick.

The closure notices covered jobs in gaming, food service, security, and management, including dealers, cooks, servers, bartenders, cashiers, and supervisors.

Last week, the company sent separate letters about each closure to Washington’s Employment Security Department. Maverick Washington LLC, a subsidiary of RunItOneTime LLC, filed the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notices.

Each letter contained the following message from Maverick Washington LLC Human Resources Director Christine Wisniewski, noting that if the site finds a new owner, the casino could stay open.

“Maverick Washington LLC is currently subject to a bankruptcy proceeding and, as part of that proceeding, there could be a potential change of operator and/or owner for the site,” she stated. “If the site is transitioned to a new owner/operator, the above-referenced closure may not occur, or alternatively, the closure could be delayed. We will provide updated information to you in the event that occurs.”

Persson said the notices reflect workers’ employment ending with the old company before they are rehired by the new owner, rather than the casinos shutting their doors.

“The employees are being terminated as it relates to the old company and being rehired by the new company, but the properties themselves will stay open,” he said.

Casino closure notices cause confusion for workers and customers

Persson said reporting based on the notices has left workers and customers confused about the casinos’ future.

“It would have been helpful, I think, if the WARN notice said that you know there was an expected transition with another party, and these properties are expected to remain open,” he said.

Asked whether anything could hold up the deal, Persson said he did not anticipate obstacles and was working closely with regulators.

“I’m trying to make sure these properties stay open, these jobs stay in place,” he said.

Earlier notices covered two Tukwila casinos

In early September, MyNorthwest learned that two of Maverick’s Tukwila casinos had filed closure notices affecting 238 employees.

Maverick Gaming filed notices with the state saying it planned to close both the Great American Casino and the Riverside Casino on Interurban Avenue S. in Tukwila. The notices listed Nov. 1 as the closure date.

The affected workers include cashiers, bartenders, dealers, cooks, and management. Riverside Casino announced layoffs for 142 employees, while Great American Casino announced layoffs for 96 employees.

Persson said he understood that two additional properties were being sold to another buyer, with that transaction expected to close in about a month. He did not name those properties during the interview.

He also said three other properties had been sold to a different buyer.

Persson explains Maverick Gaming ownership transition

Persson disputed the characterization that his current company is in bankruptcy. He said he agreed in July 2025 to transfer assets to his lenders, who then filed for bankruptcy through a separate company.

As part of that transition, Persson said, he bought back the Maverick Gaming name. He described the current Maverick Gaming business as separate from the company involved in the bankruptcy proceeding.

“Maverick Gaming is not a party to the bankruptcy,” he said. “We’re a separate company.”

Over the past year, Persson said, he has been buying assets back from the lenders. Those purchases included four Washington card rooms — two in Kirkland, one in Mountlake Terrace, and one in Lakewood — and a manufacturing company. The eight casinos now being acquired are the latest part of that effort.

“These card rooms are staying open,” Persson said.

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